The present invention generally relates to the field of computer controlled video devices and more particularly to a video multiplexer for allowing multiple applications to simultaneously share and control a single video device.
It is known in the art to simultaneously combine video signals from multiple sources onto a single display device. As a result a user may be provided with access to more than one process being displayed at a time, each typically within a portion of the display, referred to as a window. However, each process associated with a window views the physical hardware as if though it were the only process controlling the device because the video hardware exists as an individual device. Present technologies for video overlay device drivers and operating system support do not allow for multiple applications to share the video resource on the system. The video overlay device drivers that are in existence today do not allow for the application sharing of the video resource. Current video device drivers (VxDs) and software architectures for typical computer implemented video systems do not allow for more than a single application or thread to access the video device at any given time. The reason for this is the physical hardware of the device exists as a single instance in the machine. It would therefore be highly desirable to allow programmers developing software for the video system to be able to bypass the one application, one device restriction.
Accordingly, it is a goal of this invention to provide a video device multiplexing scheme which allows multiple applications to share a live video device or video overlay resource. The invention may also be directed to any device operated in conjunction with an information handling system.
The present invention is directed to an information handling system for controlling a video device wherein the information handling system in one embodiment includes an adapter operatively coupled to the video device for providing access to the video device to one or more applications executable by the information handling system, and a multiplexer for multiplexing control of the video device among the multiple applications when multiple applications request access to the video device.
The present invention is further directed to, in an information handling system, a method for controlling a video device wherein the method includes in one embodiment of the invention the steps of providing access to the video device to one or more applications executable by the information handling system and multiplexing control of the video device among the multiple applications when multiple applications request access to the video device.
The present invention is additionally directed to a computer readable medium, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer or information handling system to perform the steps for controlling a video device, wherein the steps include in one embodiment of the invention providing access to the video device to one or more applications executable by the information handling system, and multiplexing control of the video device among the multiple applications when multiple applications requesting access to the video device.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and together with the general description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.